Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-09-24
Fighting Pythcns.

scene If terrible excitement and ian,
GER IN the snake house N the Zooloct.
cal Garden this morning, and when Il
wasallgvo the 25-f9ot. deer swalIow;rr
anaconda from the wilds Of South
| America was dead The Anaconda has
been q feilow-occupant with two IL
dian pythons Of 4 2J-foot cage in the
snake house. He is ten feet longer
and a little bigger in his waist measure
than his associates, who are only tif-
teen feet long and ten inches in diam
eter. They are twenty-five years Old
and worth 500 apiece. while the ana
coDda vas ifty, his girth was FORTY
eight inches, his weight l25 pounds and
his value $500.
lie was sleepy, vicious and arrogant.
Besides that he had 6n individual bath
| tub, for he Will only kill and eat his
food when he is III the water. The an
aconda did not eat the first year he
was at the Zoo, and during the last
few months he has taken his meals
with provoking irresuiarity.
But yesterday his appetite surged in
upon him, and he got away with i've
ducks, and last night, before the keep
or put the cover over his tub. he alb
sOrbed two more. Keeper Thompson
was in back room preparing breakfast
for the other snakes who have more
delicate appetite than constructors,
when a peculiar swish and rumble
reached Ais ears.
The moment he looked in at The door
he was startled by huge squirming,
kissing, al Of snakes rolling around,
for the anaconda had got out and gone
for him with the result ofiDvoIving the
second python. There they were, coil
cd tightly together into 4 bail, and
squirming over The floor He called 10
Head Keeper Byrne, who summoned
Keeper Harrison, the Hercules who
manipulates the grizzlies in the bear
pit. Keeper Byrne understands the
snake nature. He went into the cage.
and, seizing one Of the pythoEs by the
tail, managed 70 extract him from the
mass and sling it into corner.
Harrison then came in to his assist
ance, to straighten out the convOlutions
Of the anaconda and the remaining
python, which were twisted together
like the strands Of rope. This was
necessary TO save the anaconda. which,
although he had ten feet more Of length
and fifty pounds more of weight than
his ncignbOr from india, wassyet grad I
uaily losing his wilma. Besides ali that, /
the python had his fangs set firmly in
his head.
While thus engaged no attention was
paid to the third snake that had been |
thrown in the corner. firing of his |
inactivity when so much was going on, F!
he moved in the direction Of The head |
keeper. Thompson, who had been on (
guard at the door OF the cage, stepped |
in 10 head him of.
The python drew his head back, and !
with lightning dart struck him in /
the thigh. where he fastened his fangs, |
and in I. twinkling threw three coils
around the Keepers legs. The head .
keeper and Harrison dropped their
with the anaconda and his foe.
and came TO the relief of Thompson.
Harrison caught the python by the
tail, and the reptile lOosened his fanrs.
when Byrne caught him BIZ the head,
and between them they UNFINISHED him
and liberated Thompson. It was nee
essary to quarantine the python while
Bvrne and Harrison went the second
time to the relief of the SS00anaconda,
and to successfully quarantine him,
Harrison, who is q very powerful man,
caught him by the tail and made him
describe circles in the air while the re-
lief party was at work.
When the anaconda was liberated he
was taken out Of the cage. Harrison
lropped his snake, and the men emerg-
ed and closed the gate. The two py-
thons had had picnic, but they were
not satisfied, and they darted venge-
rully against the bars. The anaconda
vas knocked ont, and the head keeper
md his assistants picked him up as
sailors pick mp heavy rope cable and
carried him TO the hospital. He was
,iven q warm bath and such stimulants
Is would revive him from his moribund
but he would not revive,
md at 1879 O'clock he died, and the
smithsonian Institution at W ashing-
ON will get his skin.
Keeper Thompson has sharp, sting
ng wound on his thigh, but is safe, be-
:ause the python is of the constructor
species and not poisonous. lie is very
badly bruised from the embrace he re-
,eived, and was badly frightened after
he unusual CONDUIT. D.